The cool science stuff first:
Polyurethane is formed by mixing an isocyanate, such as methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) with a poly blend. These components are mixed to form a rigid, cellular foam matrix. The resulting material is an extremely lightweight polymer with amazing insulating uses.
Why builders care:
This type of insulation is the leading product not only used by reputable tank companies in food and beverage processing, but it is also used in advanced energy efficient buildings. This material is great due to its high thermal resistance(R-values) at a given thickness and lowest thermal conductivity.
HG Tanks Application:
We insulate our tanks liberally with this groovy material because it helps maintain temperature longer. Once upon a time, a brewer had his chiller fail.The tank held for 48 hours only fluctuating 2 degrees due to the nature of the insulation inside the walls, thus saving that batch of beer. He brewed happily ever after.
Not all brew tanks are made the same. They can look shiny and perfect on the outside, which is the easy part of final construction. The hard part is choosing the right gauge thickness, where and how to insulate, and of course the integrity of the welder doing the work. We check all those boxes.